Locomotive-headlight control.



G. M. BURNS.

LOOOMOTIVE HEADLIGHT CONTROL.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 7, 1914.

1,109,160, Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

THE KORRIS PETERS O0, PHOTUJLITHQQ. WASHINGTON. D. C.

crmnmnlyuir'rnnw BURNs'or YMQAYSVILLEI, GEORGIA.

To all "whom it may. concern 1 Be it known that I, CHARLIE Mirr rrnaw BURNS, citizen offthe United States, residing 'at Maysville, Banks county, Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Looomotive-I-Ieadlight Control, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a} locomotive headlight control, and has for its object, the

providing of meanswhereby the light will automatically follow the rug curves.

track when round- I The invention consists in the construction Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the headlight" bracket and its connections; .3 is a detail of the spring centering device; Fig.4. is a detail plan view of the headlight bracket and its connections; Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section of one of the tender connections; Fig. 6 is a fragmental detail of the connecting rod between engine and tender.

In the drawings, 1 indiciates a loc omotive and 2 a tender coupled together in the usual manner. A headlight of any desired type is shown mounted upon a bracket 3 that is pivoted to the engine at 4 with its pivotal movement controlled by cords5- and G togetl'ier with rods 7 running therefrom to the tender 2, whereupon they aresecured by vibration absorbing devices 8 more fully shown in Fig. 5. The headlight bracket 3 is pivoted to the engine so that it may turn either to the right or left, and is held normallyto throw a beam of light straight ahead of the engine by means of rods 9 pivoted thereto at 10, and extending at each side of the light into bosses 11 on the engine with springs 12 encircling them to produce the centering action.

Lugs 13 are provided on the headlight bracket to which are attachedthe controlling cords 5 and 6, they being attached to the lug on the opposite side of the engine from which they run by passing over horizontal IJQ oMQTIVE-HEADLIGHT 'oon noL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filedmay 7, 1914. Serial No. 837,035.

g the slack between engine and tender.

- Patented Sept. 1, 19 14.

pulleys l land 15, and vertical pulleys 1G and 17. The cords 5 and 6 are-connected to the rods 7 at some suitable point asv 18 from whence the rods run to the :tender where their ends are secured in the follow? ing manner: Carried by the tender. ar'etwo shafts 1.9,. one on eachside thereof,- slidably heldiin .tWo guideways 20, and held normally central .thereofby means of springs each; g uideway bearing upon theshaft. 1%). ;-.The gu deways 20 are situated at right angles to the track'and allow fortheordim ryitransverse vibration of the rods. ,The end of eachjrod7 carriesvtworollers 22 and 9.3 between which passes the shaft 19 {for providingyfor a certain amount ofverticah movement of the rods. Atsome suitable pointflbetween the engine and tender, at

sleeve 24t-or other telescopic connection is PIOVlClGClOIl each rod with adjusting screws 25; thereon so that the rQdsmay. be either I lengthened or shortened-to correspond with The "rods preferablypass, through the cab of theengine and where they do, a slot 25 is provided in the rods into which project roller pins 26 secured to the wall or other part, of the cab to prevent undue vertical vibration or movement of the rods.

In operation, the headlight is normally directed straight ahead as in the usual {construction' at present, and remains so as long.

as there are no curves in the track. When a curve is entered-for sake of illustration, letus say tothe 'rightth e distance at A between tenderand engine will be increased 'while that at B will diminish as is well known. As the distance at A, then increases, j i

the rod 7 on the left ispulled back in relation to the engine by the tender which in turn operates the cord Gpassing around the horizontal pulley 15 and over thevertical P11116371? whereby the headlight 'carrying bracket is moved to the right and follows the track. The degree of curve influencing the distance at A, the pull of the tender on the rod 7 and its cord 6 varies accordingly 1 i and the headlight is moved the desired amount to perfectly followthe track around the curve. lVhen straight track is reached again, the distances at A and B become equal again with the resulting return of the rod to its initial position, which-tends to return the light to its normally central position but the springs 12 and rods 9 make this contering action positive. My particular form of device at 8 permits both horizontal and vertical vibration of the rods 7 to be absorbed.

The headlight bracket is of a shape and size to allow any type of headlight now in use to be used therewith and any fastening means may be used for maintaining the light rigid upon the bracket. The bracket may be pivoted in any desired place and manner upon the engine, butI prefer to secure itthereto with two-way hinges. If the-weight of the headlights used requires it, I may provide a roller 27 under the bracket upon which it may bear to help support the weight.

The centering springs 12 are preferably made very strong to prevent the vibration of the engine from jarring the headlight out of line. This will not affect the turning operation thereof, as it can be understood that the pull of the tender upon the bracket is very positive,- andwill overcome the action of the springs however strong they may be. a

The vibration absorbing securing devices 8 for the rods are not necessarily placed upon the sides of the tender so shown in the drawings, as in practice their position in relation to each other and the pivotal movement of the tender will have to be determined by experiment so that the headlight Copies of this patent may be obtained for Will be moved just the proper amount in relation to the movement of the tender.

I claim asmy invention;

1. A system of automatic headlight control 'comprisinga pivotally mounted l1eadlight support, flexible connections between said bracket and the tender, and vibration absorbing securing devices on the tender for said "connections.

2. A headlight control comprising a pivotally mounted headlight support, operat ing connections therefor, and vibration absorbing securing means for" said connections upo'n thetender including guideways, a rod slidabl'y held therein, and means for movably connecting said connections upon said rod. i e

3. A headlight control comprising a pivotally mounted headlight support, operating ccnnectionstherefor, and vibration absorbing securing means for said connections upon the tender including guideways, a rod slidably held therein, spring means for said rod, and means for movably connecting said connections upon said rod.

In-testimonywh'ereof, I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLIE MATTHEW BURNS.

Witnessesz V C. E. PARsoNs, BENNETT S. JoNEs.

five cents eacIL by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1 C.

centering 1 l 

